Many consumers today are interested to know the basic features and characteristics of prepaid debit card programs.

If you belong to this set of consumers, then we recommend that you read the remainder of this article.

Below you will discover some basic facts as well as the advantages and disadvantages linked with the use of this prepaid card program.

What are Prepaid Debit Cards?

A prepaid debit card is a very unique card program. The reason for this is that this card is actually a combination of a credit card and debit card. How is this possible?

Before you can use a debit card, you need to make sure that you have loaded sufficient funds onto your debit account. This is also true about a prepaid debit card. You need to load money onto the card before you can use it to pay for your purchases and bills in business establishments that recognize and accept plastic cards.

Your prepaid debit card can also function like an ordinary credit card. You can use it as a cash alternative to pay for your groceries, restaurant bills, and even for buying items online. You can even use a prepaid debit card to make reservations in hotels, car rental services and even in airlines. Despite your poor credit rating, you can still gain the features of a standard credit card through your prepaid debit card. And this is the main reason why this card is also called a credit card for bad credit.

Benefits and Drawbacks Associated with Prepaid Cards

Now what are the advantages of getting a credit card for bad credit? This card is actually a good tool in budgeting and managing your finances. You will also realize that a prepaid debit card can actually protect you from identity theft and from losing the money you have in your bank account. After all, your prepaid card is not linked to your bank account and it is PIN-protected.

What about the drawbacks of using prepaid debit cards? Some of the disadvantages associated with the use of this credit card for bad credit include: numerous fees and charges, no interest earned on the initial deposit, and its exclusion from the Consumer Credit Act.

Aside from the disadvantages mentioned above, consumers with poor credit ratings cannot use prepaid debit cards to repair bad credit history. This is because in these plastic card programs, cardholders will not be given credit lines that they can manage responsibly. In fact, they are the ones loading money onto their card accounts which they often use in signing up for online purchases and in paying their monthly expenses. So even if you will responsibly manage a prepaid card account, it will have no impact on your credit profile and it will not even help you repair a bad credit standing

Still, it is important to note that the beneficial features of prepaid debit cards normally outweigh their drawbacks. So, you can still have the assurance that this card will work to your advantage.